USAN - Definition and Overview

A United States Approved Name (USAN) is the official non-proprietary or generic name given to a pharmaceutical substance, as defined in the United States Pharmacopeia (USP).

Some euroskeptics in the United Kingdom, unhappy with the transition to International Nonproprietary Names (INNs), believe that the INNs were formulated with a heavy bias towards USANs over the former British Approved Names (BANs). Of main contention is the selection of epinephrine over adrenaline (BAN); however there are many other instances where the BAN was selected such as paracetamol over acetaminophen (USAN).

Example Usage of USAN